


One More On Me

by ichorskin



Category: Dota 2
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-18 18:27:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13105995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ichorskin/pseuds/ichorskin
Summary: After being saved from a near-death experience, the least you can do is buy your rescuer a drink or two to say thanks.





	One More On Me

It was a balmy, temperate evening. The sun, no longer high in the sky, was fast approaching the horizon. Watching from the comfortable vantage point of the treetops, the Monkey King took a moment to enjoy the orange glow that melted over the forest around him. It was hard to believe the carnage below the canopy of trees, that a scene so beautiful held a brutal fight down under.

Initially, Wukong was attempting to seek refuge in the treetops. He'd ran into a bad fight – getting himself outnumbered and badly wounded. Figuring that it'd be a good idea call for help rather than jeopardise his own life by hopping from tree to tree – the shaking branches were sure to attract his foes to his position. He might be dexterous, but not stealthy enough to get away without showing his every move through the trees. It was just a waiting game, now – he just had to pray that someone actually heard his call for aid.

Staying entirely silent, Wukong could hear the dreaded clanking and whirring edging closer to his position. He began praying Rizzrack was just passing through, but the chances were slim. Why else would the opposition be so far into their enemies' territory? Words of an injured hero spreads fast – everyone wants to be the one to bring him down. And Timbersaw was the perfect man for the job to kill the Monkey King. Time seemed to slow as the rattling of metal drew closer, seconds seemed like minutes, and minutes like hours.

Then the buzzing started. Wukong felt the blood run cold from his face, knowing his demise was imminent. A tree not too far away from him descended below the horizon. And another. And another. And another. It was just a process of elimination at this point. In a panic, Wukong's flight response kicked in as he sprung up in the air, and attempted to land as gently as possible on a different tree. The tree was fairly old, and pretty sturdy – a lucky catch. Another hop to another tree was not so lucky.

Clinging onto the top branch for dear life, the trunk of the young tree began to bow under his weight – causing leaves to spill everywhere, cursing under his breath. Trying to pull the remainder of his strength up for one last spring, Wukong scrambled onto the nearest stalwart tree, but to no avail. His enemy had seen the kerfuffle caused by landing on the weak tree, and was making a beeline straight for him. The trees before him seemed to fall like dominoes. Unable to move quickly enough – the tree began to vibrate as the rickety saw began to tear through its body. One moment Wukong was at the top of the forest, and before he knew it he was on the ground. Falling from a treetop is not an easy thing to survive – as he was promptly knocked out upon impact with the ground.

Having nearly given up all hope of rescue, succumbing to the possibility that this was the end – a pillar of flame rained down from the sky, the searing heat stopping Rizzrack dead in his tracks. Wukong, head hazy from the fall, sat up, and promptly sprung to his feet while he still had the chance. “Over here!” an unfamiliar voice yelled out from the nearby trees. Doing his best to make his way towards the general direction of help, he stumbled upright, his legs almost giving way as he clambered over the charred remains of fallen branches. An arm reached out and grabbed his from the shrubs – the touch as warm as the flames that blasted his opponent into a daze. “I said, over here. Not over there, unless you really wanna die. And given the lengths you went to to try and live, I highly doubt you would.” She dragged his arm in the direction he assumed was towards base, and clumsily clambered after her.

“Here.” The woman reached to her belt to pull out a small vial, popping the cork off with one hand. “Drink this. It'll make you feel better.” The next thing Wukong knew was that there was a bottle of blue liquid in his face. His mind took a second to process it, along with her words, before grabbing it and chugging the lot. Within seconds, his head started to feel less fuzzy, the pain of his limbs hurt in the fall became more bearable, and his walking began to sway less. Still walking at a brisk pace, he attempted to return the bottle to her. "Hey, uh, thank you for rescuing me. Usually I'm not so.. Careless in battle. If it weren't for you, the trees would've been painted red by the time he got his hands -- well, sawblades -- on me. I owe you one." Wukong tapped the empty bottle gently on her arm a couple times. "Also, thanks for, uh, this. Whatever was in there worked a treat. You weren't lying when you told me it'd make me feel better."

She let out a hearty giggle "No worries. Just make sure the next drink's on you." He couldn't see her face while he was trailing behind, but he could hear the smirk in her voice.

"Alright. How about I get us something nice when we get back to safety?"

She scoffed at him. "In the state you're in? No way. You need to recover first. The magic in the bottle I gave you isn't nearly potent enough to fix you up from falling out of trees that tall. Just enough to make the effects a bit more bearable. You might wanna visit an actual healer, I've heard Dazzle is around here lately. Find him, and then find me once you're healthier. I'll be around town, don't plan on going far, not for a while."

“Okay, then it's settled. I'll find you when I'm back to my usual glorious self.” He grinned. He swore he could've heard a quiet laugh from in front, but he wasn't too sure.

A faint red glow could be seen in the distance, they were nearly at the base. Wukong's sweet escape was within arm's reach, and he was damn proud of his luck.

* * *

 

After sitting in a patchwork tent for a good majority of the afternoon, and even a little overflow into the evening, Wukong was finally feeling back to normal. Dazzle's shamanistic rituals were quite a feat to see, let alone to have them performed on you. A brilliant light summoned from darkness, caressing Wukong's ailments, swirling and dissipating until abrasions were no more. He felt like a new man. Well, monkey. With a newfound spring in his step, he thanked the Shadow Priest, paid him a hefty sum of gold, and went off to satisfy his next agenda – finding his protector. He poked his head in and out of doorways of inns and taverns alike in the ramshackle town he found himself in, looking for the superb orange glow. It couldn't be easy to miss her presence, she seemed to have an aura of brightness that followed her wherever she went. And he was correct – after popping into one of the less run-down tap houses with less scope for bar-room brawling, there she was – sitting at the bar, sipping a short glass with a small amount of clear liquid, swirling her half-melted ice cubes around at the bottom before tipping it back and finishing it off.

She gently placed the glass on the bartop as Wukong approached her, taking the barstool to her right as his own. “One more on me, then?” he grinned, as she turned to look at him, glancing up and down.

“You certainly cleaned up well. I wasn't expecting you back this early.”

“I took your advice, went and found Dazzle after we went our opposite ways. The guy really knows how to work his magic. No wonder he was viewed as a prodigy.”

“You got that right. Reliable _and_ friendly. Whenever he's in town, I always try and stop by if I have any qualms with my health. I heard he's brought people back to their prime from death's door before. If that ain't reassuring, I don't know what is.”

Wukong let out a hearty chuckle as he tried to flag down the bartender. “Sorry to change the subject, but I did promise you a drink for saving my skin. What do you fancy tonight? Anything's up for offer – you did save my life, after all.”

The woman took a few moments to ponder. “Anything, you say?” She grinned. “I'll take a Bailey's Comet.” Wukong grabbed a nearby menu from down the bar, scanning the list for the requested drink. Creamy butterscotch, cinnamon and rum sounded like a dream come true, just what he needed at the end of the day after having a near-death experience. The price was pretty steep, but hey, he'd figured he'd learn to live each day like it was his last. Because today almost was.

“A good choice – sounds pretty tasty. Make that two, then.” Wukong waved at the stone-faced Slithereen bartender, who proceeded to shoot him daggers, but adhere to his request nonetheless, setting out two martini glasses on the bartop and retrieving a cocktail shaker. The two patrons watched in admiration as she worked her magic, pouring different liquids from wild bottles into the shaker, adding to the intoxicating concoction. She picked up the other half of the shaker, half-filled with ice, and tipped it into the mixture, before slamming the glass into the top of the other, and shaking it vigorously. After half a minute, she cracked the two glasses apart like an egg, pouring the drinks out with a strainer to get rid of the ice. Topping off the cocktails with a dash of a dark liquid and a sprinkle of cinnamon, she set down one in front of both of the onlookers.

“Here, lemme get that.” Wukong's company proceeded to lift her right hand between the two of them, and produce a small flame from her index finger. She moved it towards Wukong's drink, which ignited the thin layer of alcohol on the top instantly, causing the cinnamon to crackle and spark, doing the same for her own drink. Wukong watched in awe as the flames danced around the glass. After a few moments, the woman blew out the flames on her drink and gestured to Wukong to do the same. She raised her glass, nodding for Wukong to follow suit. They clinked together, and took a long sip.

Wukong had never tasted anything like it before – the top layer of the drink was warm, but the liquid towards the bottom of the glass was icy – creating an interesting sensation on his tongue. The burn of the alcohol didn't help – it was a pretty potent drink. Once he got over the cold and burning, he could finally enjoy the soothing butterscotch cream with a gentle hint of cinnamon, like the satisfaction you feel on a crisp winter evening outside, while you relax by the flickering fire. His company seemed to enjoy her drink just as much as he did – but this wasn't her first Bailey's Comet rodeo, he figured.

After taking a prolonged sip, she finally placed her glass on the bartop. “I suppose I should actually introduce myself. I'm Lina.” she smiled.

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Lina. Maybe we can consider this our first encounter? Let's put aside that embarrassing run-in earlier aside, shall we?” he smirked.

“I suppose we could.” she smiled, lifting the glass to her lips once again. “Then again.. It's not every day you get to save someone who's supposedly outwitted gods. Gave me a bit of an ego boost.” grinning into her drink.

“Hey, now! Everyone has their off days. Maybe I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Happens to peasants to gods alike!” he teased, following suit with a hearty swig of his drink.

Lina glared at him as if he'd just murdered her entire family.

“What? Have I got something on my face? Other than fur?” Wukong jests.

“Have you any idea how to drink a fine cocktail? Well, hmm, probably a stupid question. 'Cause it seems not. You need to savour the flavour to appreciate it. Plus, if you go around drinking them by the glass, you'll be needing to go see Dazzle again tomorrow morning for your splitting head.”

“I guess.. It's a force of habit. I've never really drank for the taste before. Just had filled steins shoved in my general direction for post-battle celebratory drinks. Whatever was in them never tasted too great, from beer, to ale, to mead, to stout. Generally I'd just get them over with as quickly as possible.”

“Mmm, I know what you mean. I gotta say, you've really been missing out, though. There's a tonne of great tastes out there – have you ever had wine?”

“Can't say I have.”

Lina's jaw dropped. “No way. Today's the day that changes. I'll make sure of it. Excuse me!” She raised her hand slightly, attempting to catch the bartender's attention. It was a fairly quiet night, save for the regulars, who mostly kept to themselves at their tables, and Lina and Wukong. The bartender seemed a little bored, leaning against the bartop further down, polishing glasses with a tattered cloth. She put them down on the bartop after hearing Lina's call, and moved closer down the bar without a word.

“I'd like two glasses of your best red wine. Price is not an issue.” Lina cooed, Wukong could almost have sworn he saw the faintest wink towards the barkeep. The Slithereen turned tail, carefully removing two crystal goblets from the top shelf – placing them in front of the duo at the bar. They were surprisingly lacking in dust. Must be a well-kept bar, Wukong thought to himself. The bartender then produced a dark green bottle sealed with a cork from beneath the bar, popping it off and pouring the glasses to the halfway mark, then turning around to set the bottle down at the back of the bar.

“...Actually, on second thoughts..” Lina pondered, “How much would it be to just buy the full bottle?”

“150 gold pieces.” The bartender stated, clearly a woman of few words.

“Then I'll just take that, then. May as well make a night out of it, considering how much I've drank already.” She raised her glass towards Wukong, her warm, brown eyes making prolonged direct contact with his for the first time since they met. “You're welcome to join me, if you wish.”

Wukong raised his chalice to meet hers, clinking them together gently. “I've got nothing else planned. May as well spend it with a fine lady for company.”

Lina chuckeled. “Then we'll stay here a while and hope we can stand by the time last orders come around.”

The pair smiled and drew their glasses to their lips, taking a drink of the rich, scarlet liquid. Wukong had never tasted anything quite like it before – the wine was warm and fruity, but still had the bite of a potent alcohol. The aftertaste was sharp, leaving him wanting another mouthful. And so he took just that. Almost as satisfying as the first – and with only about a shot's worth of of the wine left, he thought he may as well just finish the glass. After the wine had vanished from the glass, Wukong set it down on the table. Lina had been watching him the entire time in disbelief. “You do realise you're also supposed to savour the taste of wine?” she laughed, “But I guess old habits die hard. As long as you're enjoying it.”

“Of course I am! It's a smooth drink with a rich taste fit for a king like me. No matter how you drink it, it's enjoyable.” he boasted, reaching for the bottle to refill his goblet. Lina laughed it off, shaking her head ever so slightly.

“With the way you drink, we may as well be doing shots.” she scoffed.

“Hey, that idea doesn't sound half bad!” Wukong beamed, setting the bottle of wine back on the table. “Pick your poison – what'll it be for shots, then?”

“I mean, I was being sarcastic. But if you really want to, then I guess we're doing shots. How about some rum?”

“Seems like a good time.” Wukong attempted to hail the bartender once again, asking for two shots of rum. The barkeep set down two short glasses on the bar in front of them, pouring a dark chocolatey liquid from a short, stout bottle. The scent was strong – rich spices filled the air around the pair before they'd even touched the shots. As soon as the barkeep was finished pouring, they immediately dived on the shots, counting down in unison before throwing them back. Lina pulled a face as if she were chewing on a lemon for a few moments, whereas Wukong clenched his fist and bumped it on the bartop, drawing in a sharp intake of breath. “It definitely smelled a lot better than it tasted.” he groaned.

“Damn straight.. The first shot of the night is always the most unforgiving. We're just getting started.” Lina said, with a devious smile on her face. The bartender hadn't even gotten the chance to move away by the time the pair had finished the rum, as Lina made the next request “Can we get two tequila slammers, please?” she grinned.

“Oh, Gods, nooooo.” Wukong sighed, with a smile on his face.

“What, can't you handle your alcohol?” Lina sneered.

“Hey, of course I can! Just watch me!”

“Pffft, I'll believe that when I see it.”

Luckily for them, the barkeep had just finished pouring the shots, and was fetching the salt and lime slices, placing them down on a saucer between the two. Wukong reached for his lime slice, while Lina sprinkled a dash of salt on the indent between her thumb and index finger. She handed the shaker to the Monkey King, gazing at his hand as it reached out to grab it. “Hey, careful when you're licking the salt off. I'd imagine that a mouthful of hair would probably ruin the shot.” she jeered.

“Honestly, it doesn't take much to ruin tequila. Hell, it's basically ruined when you pour it anywhere other than down the drain.” Wukong grimaced as he shook the salt – which seemed to be getting a little clogged. He banged the bottom of it on the bar a couple times, and tried again, shaking a little more vigorously. The cap burst off the top of the shaker, covering his hand in a white crystal mound. He stared at it for a few moments, pondering what to do, before dumping it all off onto the ground, and whisking off the spillage on the bartop, before the bartender noticed. “You didn't see that.” He managed to keep a stone face for all of about a second, before the pair erupted into snorts of laughter.

“See what?” Lina retaliated with a wink.

“Nothing, it's unimportant. Shall we get this over with, then?” Wukong raised his shot glass towards her, as she raised hers in return.

“To seeing nothing.”

Lina licked the salt off the back of her hand, and tipped the shot back, whereas Wukong decided to forgo the salt entirely and just take the shot – squeezing his face up , scrambling for a lime to get rid of the taste of the putrid alcohol from his mouth. Lina, however, was faring a little better, able to keep her composure a lot more than Wukong.

“How about we have some more of the wine to get rid of that hellish taste?” he complained.

“I dunno what you're talking about. It tasted juuuuuust fine.” Lina chuckled.

“Are you sure about that? Your voice is telling me something different.”

“Pretty sure. But, if you insist.” she lifted up the bottle, pouring out two more half-glasses of wine.

“You won't be able to stand up straight after drinking that!”

“You wanna bet?” she grinned.

“What's in it for me?” Wukong pondered, with his elbow resting on the bartop, he tilted his head at her.

“Loser has to take another shot of rum!”

“Alright, if you insist..”

Lina grabbed the glass off the bartop and raised it to her lips. This time, she didn't sip her drink – she just downed it in one go – and hopped off the barstool. “Ta-da! I'm fine.”

“Hey, not so fast! You've gotta stand straight without wobbling for 10 seconds startiiiing..... Now!”

For the next ten seconds, Wukong watched Lina try to keep her balance, but mostly just looked at her – trying to keep a straight face, how soft her hair looked, the aura of warmth she seemed to carry with her, how much he'd like to touch her – and before he knew it, he could feel himself getting a little flustered. Now it was his time to try and keep a straight face, as Lina finished holding her body still. “See, I told ya! Now you gotta drink up.” She seemed proud of holding her side of the bet.

“I guess I do, yeah..” Wukong grinned, before trying to catch the bartender's attention once again, ordering another shot of rum, and two absinthe shots. He first shot back the rum as part of his lost bet, the second time a lot easier to get down than the first. He then slid one of the absinthe shots over to Lina's place, nodding towards it. She slinked back onto her seat, perplexed by the contents of the green drink.

“I don't think I've ever had.. Whatever this is, before.” She lent down and gave it a sniff. “Smells like liquorice..”

“Neither have I. But today's the day we drink absinthe.”

“Ooooh, fancy! Yet intimidating..”

“Right? I've only heard rumours about this stuff. Can get pretty messy if you can't handle it, but we're in too deep now.”

“We're in this together! How bad can it be?” Lina grinned, picking up her shot.

“Alright, so, on the count of three..” Wukong raised his glass too, but not before Lina linked her arm around his, and put the shot to her lips, waiting for the countdown.

“One..”

“Two..

“Three!”

They knocked their heads back, letting the green liquid slide down their throats in unison, followed by sounds of disgust. Lina groaned and planted her head into Wukong's shoulder, smothering her disdain. A muffled statement that sounded close to “that was gross” could be heard after a few seconds of incoherent grumbling.

“It was.. Definitely something.” Wukong grimaced. “Something I won't be doing again, hopefully.”

Lina finally raised her face from being planted on his shoulder, but still resting her chin on it. “Seconding that. How about we finish the rest of the wine, then? To get rid of that awful taste. Plus, can't let something that expensive go to waste.”

The bartender rung the bell at the end of the bar, signalling for the last orders.

“Hey, I've got one more bet for you” she whispered into Wukong's ear.

“I bet you can't kiss me before the bar closes.”

“Oh, you bet that, do you? And the winner gets what?” Wukong laughed.

“I guess I hadn't thought that far in advance.”

“Well, guess it's both of our lucky days. I'd do it without a reward regardless.” Wukong raised his hand to cup her cheek, lifting it off of his shoulder gently, and bringing her closer to his lips. The two of them shared a long kiss before drawing apart, Wukong brushed her cheek ever so slightly with his thumb before letting go. They finished their glasses in a comfortable silence – there was no awkwardness to be found, as they rose from their seats and paid their tab, making sure to tip the bartender with the patience of a saint for putting up with their drunken shenanigans all night.

Wukong gestured for Lina to lead the way out of the tavern, and as the door swung shut behind them, they found themselves alone in the streets of a town that was usually bustling with life, void of any man or monster that the eye could see. It was humbling to see it so empty, so quiet, so peaceful. They shared a moment to take in the atmosphere, before Lina finally broke the silence.

“Tonight was really nice. I hope we could maybe do it again some time.” she said, a hint of melancholy in her voice.

“I'd love to do this again. Maybe with less near-death scenarios spurring us to meet next time, though.”

She giggled. “Yeah, here's hoping. Maybe same time next week?”

“I don't see why not.” Wukong smiled, finding it hard to be the first to turn tail and leave. The two of them stood in silence for a few moments, before Lina reached out to hold Wukong's face, kissing him on the cheek, and uttering a soft goodbye before drifting off into the night. Wukong chuckled to himself, alone in the middle of the street. It was time he got back and got some rest. Besides, it wouldn't be long til he'd see her again.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> first of all, i'd like to apologise for the lack of content i've been putting out - life's been a bit of a mess lately. i'd like to look into writing more in the future, but then again, the future is all up in arms still. i have virtually no schedule, stuff's just all over the place, so maybe once it all settles down i'll have more of a schedule? i dunno. we'll see ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> secondly, this is my piece for @albuffalo1 on twitter for the dota 2 secret santa 2017!! [party horns] i had a lot of fun writing this, lina/wukong isn't a ship i'd actually considered before now, but taking a look at their interactions and thinking about their dynamics as a pairing, i'm actually pretty on board with this ship. it's some good content, and i could definitely see myself writing more in the future.


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